IMPORTANT NOTICE: VISA APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED MONDAY TO THURSDAY FROM 8 AM TO 2PM.

By order of the President of the Republic of Ecuador, starting June 20, 2008, citizens of any nationality may enter Ecuador without a visa and remain for a period of up to ninety days. The foreigner must travel with a passport that has at least 6 months of validity before its expiry date and a round-trip ticket.

This policy applies to citizens of any nationality, with the following exceptions:

- Citizens of CHINA who are Permanent Residents in the United States and are traveling for touristic purposes may enter Ecuador without a visa, with a passport with at least 6 months of validity and a round-trip ticket, and remain for a period of up to ninety days, but prior to their trip they will need to come to the Consulate in order to have their passport stamped. Important: If traveling for purposes other than tourism, they will need to apply for a visa to enter Ecuador for any length of time.

- Citizens of CHINA who are NOT Permanent Residents in the United States will need to apply for a visa to enter Ecuador for any length of time.

- Citizens of AFGHANISTAN, BANGLADESH, ERITREA, ETHIOPIA, KENIA, NEPAL, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN AND SOMALIA will need to apply for a visa to enter Ecuador for any length of time.

Citizens of any nationality will need to apply for a visa to enter Ecuador for any length of time if:
• They intend to stay longer than 90 days;
• They intend to work in Ecuador, either as a volunteer or as an employee;
• They intend to study in Ecuador;
• They intend to live in Ecuador permanently.

PROCESS FOR OBTAINING A VISA

• Applicants are required to appear in person at the Consulate to present their documentation. Visa applications by mail will not be accepted.
• If the required documentation is complete, applicants will be asked to pay the visa and application fees. From this point on, all visas take at least 96 hours to be process.
• Applicants will receive their visa the following business morning. Please take this into consideration when you are planning your visit to the Consulate.
Except for the 12-X visa, ALL VISAS MUST BE REGISTERED WITHIN 30 DAYS OF ARRIVAL IN ECUADOR, AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ALIEN AFFAIRS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR ("DIRECCIÓN DE EXTRANJERÍA").

All documentation should be original, or photocopies certified to be “true copies”. Copies of documents sent from Ecuador must be duly notarized. Simple photocopies, scans, emails or faxes are not acceptable. Ecuadorian Immigration laws give ample faculties to the Consular authorities to request whatever further documentation is deemed necessary.

In order to expedite the process, please read the requirements carefully.